Cannock Wood Services

Ambulance Service

Website http://www.wmas.nhs.uk/
Emergency telephone 999
Address: West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Millennium Point, Waterfront Business Park, Brierley Hill, West Midlands, DY5 1LX
E-mail: enquiries@staffsamb.nhs.uk
Telephone: 01384 215555

Bus services

NOTE JULY 2009:
Arriva has advised us that “The No 62 is being withdrawn due to a decline in patronage that means the service is no longer commercially viable. The changes will be introduced from 16 August with off-peak route No 33 journeys extending from Hednesford through to Chase Terrace via Rawnsley, Hazelslade, Prospect Village, Cannock Wood.

There will be off-peak route No 33A journeys running between Cannock, Bus Station, West Chadsmoor, Clarion Way, Cannock Bus Station”

Links to the replacement timetables will be provided here when they are available. Until 16 August, the timetables for the local bus route 62 that includes Cannock Wood are:

• Timetable – Monday to Saturdays (40.3 Kb) (This timetable was published on 1 November 2008. To check for a new version, you can visit the Arriva web pages.)
• Timetable – Sundays and Bank Holidays (57.1 Kb)

Cannock Wood Methodist Chapel

A delightful little church.  Fully functioning with Christenings, Weddings and Funerals & until recent times a Sunday School.

There has been a Church(gathering of people for worship) in Cannock Wood since 1803.  When Edward Jackson the preacher held meetings at the home of Samuel Craddock.   Samuel was a carpenter on the Marquis of Anglesey’s estate and also Steward of the ‘Club Room’ in the Park Gate Inn Cannock Wood.  Once several neighbours were converted, Methodist Services and meetings had to be held in the “Club Room”.  Eventually Samuel decided it was wrong to allow the Club Room to be used for dancing  and amusement, knowing that the next day it would be used for divine worship.  So, on the 6th January 1810 he licenced his own home for services.  However, by September 1810 Samuel moved to Brereton, where he established a carpentry business.

In July 1810 Hugh Bourne’s house was also being used for worship.  William Clowes started preaching in the Cannock Wood area in 1811.     His influence persuaded John Linney to licence his house for worship in Cannock Wood on the 1^st November 1811.  Mr Turner (who worked in the kitchen at Beaudesert Hall) followed suit with his old thatched cottage at the foot of Castle Ring.

Joseph Richards (the keeper of the Park Gate Inn) was, originally a Primitive Methodist too. However, he transferred his loyalty to the Wesleyan Methodists and on 11^th May 1815 he registered a house for worship at Cannock Wood. This could have signalled the end of the Primitive Methodism: by 1834 this form of worship around Cannock Wood had ceased., despite the early pioneering.

Mrs Elizabeth Birch, a wealthy spinster of Brereton, who was one of a number of worshippers meeting at the Park Gate Inn, offered to pay for the building of a chapel and the site was decided. The land belonged to Samuel Craddock, but he would only sell to Irishman, John Scott, a local preacher, butcher and farmer at Armitage. The chapel was finally opened on 27^th June 1834 at a cost of £84.00 to Miss Birch. Eli Birch (no relation) of Cannock Wood as teacher and Sunday School Superintendent, but in 1841 he and many of his relatives joined the Primitive Methodists at Bloxwich; indicating disputes within the chapel! However, in 1859 the chapel was attracting 80 people to worship. The Chapel is a white stone building 41 feet x 18 feet, with rounded windows (listed Grade 2) and a tiled roof, the door opens directly onto the lane. There have never been any extensions to the chapel, as it is only owning one yard/metre of ground all round for maintenance purposes. The iron railings on top of the dwarf wall were commandeered by the government during the Second World War.

The inside of the chapel is divided into 2 rooms, the smaller room being the school room, divided from the main room by a removable  windows and door, enabling more people to fit in on occasions! There is a centre aisle, with the pulpit and communion table in the centre at the north end. Behind the pulpit in blue and gold letters are the words ‘Watch and pray’. In the 1970’s the straight-backed wooden pews were replaced by more comfortable red chairs and the marble topped communion table was replaced by one of polished wood. The pulpit is the original.

The chapel was originally called ‘Hackwood’s Chapel’ The Hackwood family lived in the house at the side of the chapel and were effectively unpaid caretakers. In the 1930’s  Mr & Mrs harry Hackwood and their daughter Miss Ethel Hackwood lived there. A shop attached to the house sold groceries and sweets, but not on Sundays. Water was not connected to the chapel until the end of the 1960’s, so it had to be carried from the Hackwood house. As there were no toilet facilities in the chapel until the late 1960’s an old earth closet in the Hachwoods garden was used by Chapel members and Sunday School  scholars! Thus, the Hackwood family were associated with the chapel from its beginning until 1970’s. The heating system consisted of a large coal fired iron stove in the centre isle with the chimney going straight up through the chapel roof. If the wind was in a certain direction then the chapel would be filled with smoke, much to the discomfort of the congregation. The stove was eventually replaced by electrically heated pipes in the 1960’s. However, candles at Christmas ensure that the experience is repeated yearly!  Miss Ethel Hackwood was the organist in the 1930’s, being replaced by Mrs Violet Westwood, who was followed by the present organist (2021) Mrs Gerion Piper. The original organ was a harmonium which was finally replaced by an electric organ in the 1970’s. In 2008 a digital organ took its place, but it does not have the character of the harmonium (it’s not such hard work either)  In the 1920’s the Cannock & Rugeley Colliery Company built nearly 100 three bedroomed  homes for miners and their families at Rawnsley New Village better known as ‘Prospect Village. This brought to the Sunday School numbers up to 75-100 children and 6-8 teachers. Primary children meeting in the school room and the older children meeting in the Chapel, the boys sitting on one side and the girls on the other. The older children sitting at the back and the younger ones at the front.  In the 1930’s two services were held, at 11am & 6pm. If the peacher was to lead both services then they would be looked after by the Hackwood family in between services. At the end of the 1930’s Sunday School attendances declined as the scholars were called up to fight in the 2^nd World War and a Sunday School was opened up in Prospect Village Hall.  In 1940 the chapel seated up to 80 people. By the end of the war the Sunday School had declined further. Evening services were moved to an afternoon service because blackout curtains were deemed too expensive. During the 1950’s the west wall was replaced as it bulged and was considered unsafe. The expense was met by the National Coal Board because it was proved that the damage was due to mining subsidence. During these repairs’ services were held in the school room.

The current minister (2021) is Revd Anthony Brookes who is also responsible for 3 other churches.  Our Stewards are Mrs Beryl Nicholls and Mr Anthony Toye. The circuit Superintendent is Revd Anthony Hick who manages 21 churches in the circuit.  Today the chapel is carpeted, there are chair cushions, two large tapestries, one depicting ‘The Last Supper’ and the other ‘The Good Shepherd’ The heating works well, the flower arrangements are beautiful, the toilet clean and the lights bright!

YET…… The congregation today averages 15, but there is room for at least 40. At present there are no Sunday School children.

There is a little booklet with more information about Cannock Wood Village, the people and the chapel freely available. Donations go to the chapel.

Chemists

Lloyds Chemist
Address: Rugeley Road, Chase Terrace, WS7 1AQ
Telephone: 01543 682739

Rawnsley Pharmacy
Address: Rawnsley Road, Rawnsley, Cannock, WS12 1JF
Telephone: 01543 878951

Christ Church, Gentleshaw

Although situated in the village of Gentleshaw and the ecclesiastical parish bears that name Christ Church, Gentleshaw also serves the more populated village of Cannock Wood and is only separated from that village by the civil parish boundary which runs down the centre of the road.

The church is open on Saturday afternoons from 2pm to 3pm for anyone to visit, either for a time of quiet reflection and prayer, or just to look around and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and a chat.

Our services are each Sunday at 9.45am and 6.30pm with varying services available. On the morning of the 1st Sunday of each month we normally have All Age Worship or “Family Service” as it is known by most. On the 3rd Sunday of each month there will be a traditional service of Holy Communion using the 1662 Book of Common Prayer

A mix of Holy Communion, Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer take place on the other Sundays.

On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings at 9.15am there is a short spoken service which includes the daily liturgy, psalms and bible readings. This is followed by coffee and fellowship. All are welcome to attend. For details contact Fran on 01543 674993. Each Wednesday at 10.00am there will be spoken service of Holy Communion.

Priest in Charge:

The Reverend Lynn McKeon, The Vicarage, Buds Road, Cannock Wood, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 4NB

Telephone: 01543 670739

Churchwardens:

Mrs Marion Tait 01543 682701

Mr Alan Blank 01543 671161

Visit the Christ Church website.

Citizens Advice Bureau

Chase Terrace Branch
Wade House, 7 Cannock Road, Chase Terrace, Burntwood, WS7 8JS 01543 684125

Cannock Branch
48 Allport Road, Cannock, WS11 1DY 01543 502236

Doctors

Salters Meadow Health Centre
Rugeley Road
Chase Terrace
WS7 1QA
Telephone: 08444 127 244

Dr S Al-Hakim & Dr Gutta
Rawnsley Road Surgery
Rawnsley Road
Rawnsley
Cannock
WS12 1JF
Telephone: 01543 877842

Burntwood Health & Well Being Centre
High Street (next to leisure centre)
Chasetown
Burntwood
WS7 3XH
01543 687440
www.burntwoodhealth.co.uk
Open 8am – 8pm 365 days a year
This is both a GP Surgery and a Walk-In Centre

Fire and Rescue

Telephone nmubers
Emergency 999
Non Emergency 0845 1221155
Home Fire Risk Check 0800 0241 999

Headquarters
Telephone 0845 1221155
Address: Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Services, Pirehill House, Pirehill, Stone, ST15 0BS

Local Fire Station: Chase Terrace (Retained Service)
Telephone: 01785 898280
Address: Rugeley Road, Chase Terrace, Burntwood, WS7 8AQ

Local Fire Station: Cannock
Telephone: 01785 898060
Address: Old Hednesford Road, Cannock, WS11 6LD

Local Fire Station: Lichfield (Retained Service)
Telephone: 01785 898040
Address: Birmingham Road, Lichfield, WS13 6HU

Gentleshaw Primary School

The village school, now Gentleshaw Primary, was built in 1878 and enlarged in 1882. Previously children attended lessons in a schoolroom attached to the School House, now a residential dwelling in Darlings Lane. Children paid a penny a week, and while payment could be made in kind, such as soap or eggs, the child who brought none at all was immediately sent home.

The school consisted of three classrooms, divided by moveable partitions, two little porches and a small back yard. The premises were finally modernised in 1958 with the addition of a hall, kitchen, flush toilets and automatic heating system.

To accommodate a rising school population three extra classrooms and additional cloakrooms were added in 1967. Now there are five classrooms and the school roll is some 130+ pupils.

Technology has progressed to the school with computers available for learning and the children have the benefit of excellent teachers in good surroundings.

Gentleshaw Primary School web pages

Library

Burntwood Library Sankeys Corner Chase Terrace WS7 2BX Tel: 01543 682447
Opening Times: Mon & Wed 9:00 – 17:00
Tue & Fri 9:00 – 19:00
Thur 9:00 – 13:00
Sat 9:30 – 16:00

Mobile Library

Staffordshire Mobile Library Tel: 01785 278369
Calls in Cannock Wood every other Thursday
Hayfield Hill 10:55 – 11:10 Pineside Ave 11:15 – 11:40
Gilwell Road 11:45 – 11:55 Cumberledge Hill 12:00 – 12:20
2009 Timetable: Aug 6th & 20th, Sep 3rd & 17th, Oct 1st 15th & 29th, Nov 12th & 26th, Dec 10th & 24th.

Neighbourhood Watch

Police Contacts: Vicki Singleton 01543 464218
Ash Connor 01785 23129 Ray Jones 01785 234427

Police

Website
http://www.staffordshire.police.uk

Telephone numbers
Emergency 999
Local Non-Emergency 0300 123 4455

Staffordshire Police HQ
Telephone: 0300 123 445
Address: Cannock Road, Stafford, ST17 0QG

Cannock Police Station
Telephone: 08453 302010
Address: Wolverhampton Road, Cannock, WS11 1AW

Rugeley Police Station
Address: Rugeley Police Station, 13/14 Anson Street, Rugeley, WS15 2BQ

Local Police Officers
PC 4128 Luke Norman c/o Rugeley Police Station
Email: luke.norman@staffordshire.pnn.police.uk

PCSO 8848 Sean Nicholls, c/o Rugeley Police Station

Email: sean.nicholls@staffordshire.pnn.police.uk

Post Offices

Hazel Slade (1.6 miles)
71 Rugeley Road, Hazel Slade, Cannock, WS12 0PQ 01543 423519

Sankeys Corner (1.7 miles)
5 Cannock Road, Chase Terrace, Burntwood WS7 1JS 01543 682257

Recycling/Waste Disposal

Burntwood Site: Ring Road, Chase Terrace, WS7 1JQ Tel: 0800 232323 or 01785 277452
Opening Times 09:00 – 16:30 Closed Wed & Thur

Cannock Site: Poplars Household Waste Recycling Centre, Lichfield Road, Cannock WS11 2JZ
Tel: 0800 232323 or 01785 277452
Opening Times: Winter 09:00 – 16:30 every day
Summer 09:00 – 18:00 weekdays 09:00 – 17:00 weekends Closed Mon & Tue.
NB: Both sites open at Bank Holidays apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Years Day.